Mr Monk and
by AmbrielleReynolds
Summary: I couldnt think of a good title so I need help. Anyway, Natalie finds herself in a sticky situation...very sticky.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Of course I do not own Monk….ha-ha only in my dreams.

Stunned, Shocked, Overwhelmed…These were the emotions playing through Natalie's mind. Never in a million years had she expected to be caught in this situation. Starring down at the piece of plastic in her hand she couldn't help but think and hope it might be wrong. She stood up from the edge of the tub and braced herself against the bathroom sink. Her legs went limp and she collapsed into a heap next to the wall. Tears began streaming down her face as she looked down at the test in her hand and let the realization hit her. What had she done? How was this going to affect Julie, not to mention Mr. Monk? Natalie knew that a baby, especially under these circumstances would be difficult to cope with. She sat up against the wall, tears flowing freely and placed her hand on her stomach. It was strangely comforting to think that a child, her child, was growing inside of her.

From downstairs she heard the front door open and close and heard Julie call out to her that she was home. Natalie quickly rose and composed herself, fixing her face as best she could, and then went downstairs to greet Julie. Despite her efforts, Julie noticed right away her mother had been crying. Her blue eyes had lost their sparkle and seemed slightly dulled by the hints of red. Julie asked her what had upset her but Natalie smoothly lied and claimed she had been thinking about Mitch. Julie accepted this excuse without further prodding knowing it was a tender subject for her mother even after all these years. She went into the kitchen to fix herself a snack as Natalie readied herself to return to Monk. Keeping this from him was going to be next to impossible, but Natalie knew it was extremely important. Natalie knew for certain that he wasn't ready for this. In fact she didn't know if she would ever be ready for something this life changing. It had been difficult enough for him to solve Trudy's murder only to discover that she was pregnant at the time. He had just stared in disbelief at the little booties that had been wrapped in that present he had refused so long to open. He had practically shut down, but with help he finally had managed to return to normal, well as normal as he was before anyway. Eventually he had felt relief in knowing that he hadn't been able to ruin a child with himself as a father figure. How, she wondered, would feel if he knew now that he faced the same dilemma. Finally, she felt as ready as she could to return to Monk. She even changed into a slightly larger shirt out of paranoia, despite knowing there was no way she would be showing at five or six weeks, but with Monk you could never be too careful.

Julie settled into doing her homework and Natalie came and hugged her goodbye and left. She got in the car and made the short drive to Monk's apartment. When she went inside she found him doing his usual never ending housework. Once he saw her he shut off the vacuum and came over to her. He explained that he was glad she was here to help him with his chores. Natalie showed no enthusiasm of course, and Monk began to study her face searching for something. He must have found it because the next words out of his mouth were why you were crying. Natalie was shocked and inquired as to how he had possibly noticed she had been crying less than an hour ago.

"Well, you have on more makeup around your eyes in an attempt to hide the slight reddened puffiness and your blue eyes have no sparkle left which indicates you are sad," Monk analyzed.

Natalie thought for a moment and said, "Oh, well I was thinking about Julie growing up so fast. She will be in college in a year you know. Monk responded with only a nod although inside he was slightly suspicious that Natalie wasn't telling him the whole truth. He let it go for the time being. He wasn't very good with the whole crying and tears thing so he resolved to return to his vacuuming rather than press the issue. Natalie felt relief flush over her that Monk had believed her excuse. She set down her purse and went to the kitchen to get some cleaner so she could help Monk with his favorite pastime. She felt tired already so she settled for a chore that wouldn't require much effort. She grabbed the glass cleaner and returned to the living room to clean Monk's many pictures of Trudy.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Monk…

Natalie's plans were foiled when Monk saw the glass cleaner.

"Actually, I have already cleaned the pictures. I was hoping you could take out the garbage and run my dirty laundry to your car so that we could take it by the cleaners later." Monk said grinning sheepishly.

"Ugh, Mr. Monk, I already feel exhausted. Please don't make me walk up and down the stairs a bunch of times." Natalie argued assuming that Mr. Monk would still insist.

However, Monk sensed that something was off with Natalie he just couldn't figure it out.

"Okay, it can wait I guess. Why don't you just sit down and relax while I finish vacuuming," Monk told her.

Relieved and surprised at his sudden compassion, Natalie took a seat on the couch and closed her eyes.

She had been feeling off for about two weeks. Nothing big just a little more tired than usual and a little queasy. She just figured working long hours and lack of sleep over the last case, which had involved a child, had been the problem.

Even though she knew she had slept with Monk recently without protection, the thought of pregnancy never entered her mind. No one knew about that night except them. She had stayed with him because he had been drinking and depressed about the baby with Trudy, which was so unlike him and had worried Natalie to death.

She knew how alcohol affected him, but she never thought having a few drinks herself would affect her the way it had. Neither of them remembered the details, but Natalie had woken up in his bed with no clothes on. He too was nude and their clothing was strewn all over the bedroom.

She had expected him to completely freak out, but he had acted completely normal. She wasn't sure if he meant it or if he even remembered it, but he had told her he loved her and pulled her into a long passionate kiss. It had melted her heart and she had fallen for him right then and there, but she could never tell him that. Especially when he was sober…

It was until today pregnancy had even come to mind at all. Even when she missed her period, she had attributed it to stress.

After this morning when Randy had announced his girlfriend was pregnant, she had felt a sickening realization about her mysterious symptoms, which suddenly didn't seem so suspicious.

As soon as she was able, she left Monk at home and ran to the drug store. After buying a few different brands of test she ran home to confirm her worst nightmare. All these thoughts and the look back at how she got into this predicament pushed her over the edge into unconsciousness and drifted into a deep sleep.

NMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNM

Monk had finished is cleaning for the time being and was fixing dinner for himself and Natalie in case she decided to stay for dinner, as she often did. He had left her to rest on the couch since she had fallen asleep.

Once he put the pot pie in the oven, he decided that Natalie would probably be more comfortable in a bed.

He lifted her small frame from his sofa and carried her into his bedroom. He could smell her shampoo as her blonde hair flowed near is face. He carefully pulled back the covers with one hand and laid her down trying his best not to wake her.

He brushed the hair from her cheek and tucked her in before leaving the room to check on his dish. While he waited he settled down with in a chair with the newspaper.

NMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNMNM

Julie had finished her homework and was now surfing the internet. Being home alone, even at almost seven thirty didn't bother her. She knew her mother often stayed at Monk's house until nine o'clock so she was used to it.

The phone rang, so she got up to answer it, surprised when she heard Monk on the other end.

"Hey Mr. Monk. Is everything okay?" Julie questioned.

"Yes, yes, I just called to tell you that Natalie fell asleep over here." Monk told her.

"Oh, okay well I can come get her if you would like and-," Julie started.

"No that's okay she is welcome to spend the night here. I have plenty of room but actually there is something else I would like to ask you about. You-your mother was crying when she got here today." He told her.

"Oh yeah, she was crying when I got home too. She tried to hide it but I noticed of course. She um she told me that she was thinking about my dad." Julie explained.

"Well actually that's not what she told me. She said she had been thinking about you growing up so fast," Monk argued, "Honestly Julie, I don't truly believe either excuse."

Julie thought about this wondering if maybe he was on to something.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well it's just a hunch, but she hasn't been acting herself lately," Monk reasoned.

Julie knew what he meant. Both had noticed Natalie hadn't been feeling that great and seemed more tired than usual.

"Hmm, maybe you are right. I'll look around the house and in her room and see if I see anything suspicious. Oh and thanks for letting me know how you feel about this. Goodbye and goodnight." Julie finished.

"Goodbye and you're welcome." Monk said and hung up.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Monk …oh well haha

Julie closed her laptop and thought about the conversation she had just had with her mother's boss. She was confused as to why her mother would lie to her, and she decided she would do a little snooping around.

Making her way to her mother's bedroom, she almost turned back and changed her mind thinking it was wrong to invade her privacy. However, if it was enough to make Natalie cry it must be important Julie reasoned.

The room was dark, but the glow of the bathroom light which had been left on, allowed her to see.

She headed for there first, but stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the doorway. There on her mother's bathroom counter was the opened box for a pregnancy test. At seventeen, she hadn't needed to get any closer to know what it was exactly.

Eventually she forced herself to move closer though. She needed to find out if the test had been positive or negative, so she looked around for the little stick.

It was on the floor underneath the vanity. She gently lifted the test and turned it face up. It revealed two little pink lines crossed to for a plus sign. Julie almost dropped the test in shock. How could her mother be pregnant? She wasn't even dating.

At least if she had, she hadn't told Julie about the new guy. That was something she never did, keep secrets about boyfriends. She had never tried to hide relationship before, so why would she start now?

Julie felt confused like she had landed in a bad dream or a parallel universe.

She felt the detective in herself kick in. She really needed to unravel this complicated mystery and she was dying to confront her mother.

For now though, she turned off the bathroom light and went back downstairs.

She was insanely curious so she looked around for some clue as to who the father of her future brother or sister was, assuming the test was correct.

She looked everywhere she could think of: her mother's datebook, the calendar, even the call history on the phone…nothing. The last date she had was over two months ago. It was possible Julie supposed that "Rick" was the father, but it was unlikely since all the clues suggested her mother had just found out today.

Julie was stumped. By now it was close to nine, so Julie just retrieved he laptop off the kitchen table and headed for her bedroom to think.

_Okay I realize this chapter is super short but I promise I will update again in the next day or two….thanks for all the comments guys!!! Hope you guys like it so far._


	4. Chapter 4

Monk heard the oven ding indicating that dinner was done. He always ate pretty late at night and the distraction of Natalie's mysterious crying had him feeling little hunger.

He thought about waking up Natalie to eat but he didn't have the heart. He neatly wrapped her portion of the food he had prepared and stored it away in the fridge in case she woke up hungry later and wanted dinner.

Once he had finished cleaning up from dinner and making sure the house looked spotless he decided it was time to get ready for bed. He made his way to the bathroom quietly to conduct his nightly routine locking the door behind him and bringing his pajamas so he wouldn't have to make noise searching for them in the dark once he finished getting ready for bed.

Natalie woke to the sound water running and the yellow light escaping from the edges of the bathroom door. Everything that had happened that day felt like a bad dream and she had almost convinced herself that it was until she realized she was in Monk's bed.

She recognized the distinct odor of cleaning chemicals and the fresh scent of clean laundry that always filled his home. She had grown to love those scents and every other little thing that was distinctly Monk.

She wondered how she had gotten to the bedroom even though she knew the only logical answer. She also knew she had to leave before he finished in the bathroom. She quietly slipped out from under the covers and tiptoed out of the room. Her shoes were set beside the door as usual so she slipped them on, retrieved her purse from the living room and made her way out the door without a sound. As much as her heart wanted to stay, she didn't think Monk would sleep in the same bed as her and a night on the couch in her condition was the last thing she needed.

Monk finished his shower and the rest of his nightly routine before exiting the bathroom quietly expecting to see Natalie's sleeping form illuminated in the bathroom light. He was disappointed when he saw she was gone. Making sure she hadn't just gotten up to go to the bathroom he checked the hallway and found her shoes were gone.

He had hoped she would stay because a part of him was falling in love with her although he couldn't even admit it to himself yet. Since Trudy died, she was the only woman he could think about for so long but now that the case was closed he felt like he might be able to start over. He was still Monk of course and he had no plans to go looking for new women but Natalie had become his closest friend and the only person he knew he could count on no matter what.

He felt depressed to be alone tonight and shuffled his feet into the bedroom where he got into bed without even bothering to change the sheets. Natalie's smell lingered in the white folds and it was almost like she was there. He had never been with another woman other than Trudy but he kept having this vision of Natalie in his bed with him. He shrugged it off as a dream but little did he know it was a reality. He leaned over to pick up the phone beside his bed to call Julie.

It was almost midnight when Natalie turned her key in the front door of her house. She went in and shut the door slowly, assuming Julie would be asleep. She was glad that this long day was almost over and longed for a good night's rest so that she could begin thinking about her situation with a clear head.

The flip of the light switch suddenly bringing the entire room into brightness startled her. It was Julie, who was sitting in the chair waiting up for her almost like a parent would do their child. Natalie couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt although in her mind she knew she had done nothing wrong. She was the adult and she had no curfew.

Julie stared intently at her mother but not with malice or anger, just a stare than was unnerving to Natalie and intensified the feeling of guilt growing in her stomach. "Hey mom. Mr. Monk called and said you left and to make sure you got home okay," Julie said as if to explain her waiting up. "Oh that was nice of him," Natalie returned as she pivoted slightly to head up the stairs. She could almost feel her bed calling her name she was so tired.

Julie thought about confronting her mother with the evidence she had found right then and there but she could see Natalie was tired. Plus, maybe she should give her a few days to come to terms with the information of a pregnancy. It was possible that she had every intention of telling Julie as soon as she confirmed with her doctor or had a chance for it to sink in. As much as she wanted to ask, she held her tongue and decided to wait it out for a few days at least.

Julie stood and followed Natalie as they made their way upstairs. "Night mom. You know you can tell me anything right?" Julie said stopping at her bedroom door. "Yeah of course kiddo. Same goes for you. Night sweetheart. I love you," Natalie assured. "Love you too," Julie said and with that they entered their rooms for a good night's sleep.

Well dang. Two years and all I could come up with was this. I don't know I mean I started out writing this chapter with good intentions and I had the whole story planned out originally and it didn't go like this but this is what I came up with so enjoy!


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